Multi-pivot bowling pin with switch



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June 14, 1960 J-ROSENBERGER MULTI-PIVOT BOWLING PIN WITH SWITCH Filed Dec. 30, 195? Clizorneg United States Patent O fihce 2,940, 56 MULTI-PIVOT BOWLING P N WITH SWITCH John Rosenberger, Roselle, Ill., assign'or to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, 111.; American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, executor of said Raymond T. Moloney, deceased Filed Dec. 30, 1957, Ser. No. 706,056 2 (Cl. 273-41) The principal object of the disclosed improvements is the provision of a simple control switch for simulated bowling pins used in coin-controlled games and the like.

The novel control switch means is especially adapted for use with the type of bowling pin employing a compound lever system of the type which afiords several degrees of movement in the reactions of the pin when struck by a ball. In this regard, a specific feature of the switch means is the provision of a switch-actuating lever carried as an independently movable P f Of the compound lever system (so as to move bodily with the latter) and capable ofactuating a relatively stationary pin-control switch through motion imparted thereto by a simulated bowling pin which is also supported for limited independent primary motion by the lev er system, and which is also bodily movable (tie. to a struck'- or retracted condition) with and by said lever system, in a secondary type of movement.

Another feature resides in the provision of a simple control circuit for any pin unit by which the pin may be released under two different conditions, i.e. when the ball actually strikes the pin, or when the ball strikes some other switchpsuch as an alley switch, or Strikes, some other pin and actuates the corresponding pin switch which may be connected in a releasing circuit for the first-menfioned pin, as will more fully appear hereinafter.

Additional objects and aspects of novelty andutility will appear as the following description proceeds in view of theannexed drawing, mem s; i

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of-a complete pin unit; with parts'shown in elevation 'andthe pin shown in pendant playingcondition; Fig. 2 is an operational modification'of the showing of; Fig. 1 with the pin andle' ver system' in different conditions of operation} and including assassination:

ag m; s.-. Fig. 3 is a top view of; the pin unit, to reduced scale.

The particular simulated bowling pin structure depicted in Fig. 1 forms the subject matter-of co -pending application Serial No. 689,396, filed octbber' o," *195 7, and Letters Patent referred to therein (Nos. 2,722,422 and 2,800,650 to Charles T. Breitenstein) and accordingly onlythe components and aspects thereof which'are'essentialto an umeannamgn the present disclosures will be de cri ed. d ai Referring to Fig. '2 the pin body 10 is a half-shell of plastic, synthtic i'ubber, 61' the like, having a metal bra e 11. attached nteri rly t ereef ne the ne Of he pin by mea s o screws 12 threaded into b ss molded in the body.

At its lower end, the bracket 11 is forked, only one side 11A of this formation being seen in the two sectionalized views, the forked portions defining a trunnion or yoke the opposite arms of which support a pivot pin 13, which in turn pivotally supports the lower end of a channel-like lever member 14 having a pivot pin 15 near its mid region and another pivot pin 16 at its top.

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2 A torsion spring 16 is carried on the bracket pin 13 and has one end 16A hooked onto the median pivot pin 15, and its remaining end 16B bearing against the inside of the bracket 11 to urge the pin body into a firm, yieldably upright position when the lever system is erected or extended, as in Fig. l. Thus, the pin is individually pivotable about pin 13 as represented by the curved arrow i, when the lower regions of the body are struck by a ball moving in the direction of the fletched arrow lil The pin is supported from its own individual base plate 11 by means of a long lever 20 pivotally connected at 21 to a log on said plate and also pivotally connected at its lower end to the median pivot pin 15 the lowermost lever arm or lever.

' Another one of the compound levers 24, which may be designated here as the dog-leg or control leve nfis pivotally ached at its lower end to the pivot pin 1 on thelow er lever 14 while the upper portion of control lever is pivotally mounted on the base plate by means of a pivot pin 25 seating in spaced upset flanges 25X on said plate.

i A large traction spring 26 (Fig. 3) hooks on to an extended pin 27 staked into the dog-leg lever, and the opposite end of said spring is anchored to a lug 28 on the base plate, with the result that there is a steady pull on the dog-leg orcontrol lever tending to turn these me clockwise, so that when this lever is free to move, it will fold the entire compound lever system upwardly into the dotted-line position shown in Pig, 2 The purpose ofthis complex pin motion is to permit the use of a larger pin in a confined space, the pin being turned and elevated simultaneously. y

The position of the pin shown in Fig. l is the pendant or playing position, in which it is maintained against the retractive efiort'of the spring by means of an electromagnetic latch armature 30 normally and automatically engaging into a latch notch 29 on the end of the dogleg. When the coil 31 is energized, the lever is free and spring 26 acts to retract the pin.

Resetting of the pin is elfectecl by motor-driven reset means (not shown) connecting with individual reset links 34 for each pin unit.

' The structure described thus far is also disclosed in the aforesaid copending application, the n ovelty claimed in the present disclosure relating only to certain control switch means now to be described. V V i In order to approach as closely as possible to realistic pin action in simulated bowling games using pins which are notwholly freein the sense of real plus but which of necessity are largely captive and therefore incapable of certain normal movements (eg. sidewise), the disclosed pin is provided (among other things) with an individual freedom of movement about the pin-pivot 1 3.

Thus, if a ball moving in the direction of arrow B strikes the lower end of the pin only a light glancing blow, without also passing over and operating a score switch 35 in the alleyfiooror some analogous scoreswitch means which would cause the an repeater latch coil means 3031 to release the pin for scoring retraction, the pin itself would nevertheless yield and permit the ball to pass freely, and spring means 16 woul d restore the pin to upright position.

In those prior games employing score switches like the alley switch 35 (one under each pin) the inertia of the compound lever system causes a slight but perceptible delay in reaction of the pin to the hit, with a consequent detraction from realistic efiec-ts, and it has been in part the important objective of the individual pin pivot means 13, 16 to augment the sensitivity of the pin to overcome that condition as well as to permit the use of striking balls as distinguished from pucks or small balls which and loceas ionally, V I

switches;(not shown, but of which35 mayberegarded Y heretofore have passed wholly beneath the pin and engaged only the appertaining score switches.

Thus, in accordance with, the additionally compounded lever system, the pin'will react visibly at once to a blow, whetherl'slight or hard, and this reaction may beaonlytat pivot 1312 oraddi-tionally abpivots 15, 161(1 P with certain kinds of shall-actuated as exemplary) the reaction may not include any motion relative to pivot'1f3, as ,where the ball hits another pin witch ands cores a strike causing an automatic retraction ofiall ins atonce; I r a 1; a. l .r i .7 a To. theendof still further enhancing pin action; the

present improvements. provide a leaf-sprinlg control switch ii i ounted on the 7 base plate with; one of lits co ntact leaves v41 disposed over acut-out 18X therein where it can be engaged by a roller 42 011 .the jutting edge-of a 7 .smallendog-leg switch lever .43 piv ot'ed on cross pin I 44 onirthe, larger dog legt lever, -it-being understood that-the latter-,Ilik the lo wer leverH14, .consists of two spacedapart; rigidly joined, identical st amping .t -whereas the suspendinglever ZO is preferably only asingle flat rl li t; V V i The switch lever 43 is disposed between the; two dogleg stant pings, and is seen in elevation since only one of .theserst'arn'pings is seen in the sectional view of the drawl'l'heldi'splacernent of the "switch lever, 43 i sj ilimited by .alstjopfpiri 45 'also seated across the two spaced stamprifQth'e large dog-leg leverl24, there beinganovers izedjhole 43H in theswitch lever throughwhich said tep pin passes. Thusleverf43 canrnove back and forth only, a small distance determined bythe size of the hole At'is lower end, the switch-actuating lever *43 has a :Idog-log offset 43X which serves two purposes, namely,

as a counter-balance to minimize the effect of the mass lot this lever on the relatively weak switch spring'leaf 41, and secondly 'todispose a portion of this leverjclosely V infjuxtaposition with a metal striker piece 9 carried on 1 the pin-head bracket 11, insuch manner that when the pin is normally pendant, lirirfplayingw or-Fset position,

I-to pivot thisswitch lever counterclockwise and open switch contact 41 away from its companion normal conswitch 50, coil 31, via conductor 51 to one terminal of power source {c.g. battery) 52, to complete the circuit via conductor 53 through the'pin switch 40 to return to the return circuit G. r

Thus, when pin switch 40 closes, as aforesaid, latch coil 31 will .be energized to free the retracting lever 24, since the supervisory switch 50 is also closed at this time; but when the pin and lever system is fully retracted (as in dotted lines, Fig. 2 the extended pin 25 ,(fig illon the lever 24v will open switch 50 and de-ener'gize co'il 31, since power willbe no longer pneededfor this unit until the pin is reset. 5 5

It will be understood that the forego'ing pinfaction-occurred solely as a resultof striking the pin body 10 itself, as distinguished from 1the;ac tu ati on of some disjoined switch means such as the ball-operated switch 35.

'the pin switch 40 so that either the switch 35 orswitch l tfl m ay trip outithe pin, and alley switches like 35 may be those associated with the same bowling .pin, the pin switch 40 with they. are shunted; on withla different pin. r V

1. In a simulated, bowling pin of [lhG COmPOUIIdlEVEI type including a pin body and driven spring-urged lever means connecting therewith and operable to raise and lower the pin body from pendant to retracted position, said pin being also pivotable' about" a hori zontalaxis relative to said lever means a; control switch mounted in stationary relation to the pin bo dy and lever means,

and'a switch operatingtleyerpivotally-carried by a part v in operative juxtaposition with said .swit ch, andanother portionspositioned in operative juxtaposition to the head ,striker plate 9 will bear against the dogleg or ofiset-43X i a 1 Should therpin be struck and move only slightly at 13 a in; motion P lever 43 "will be moved clockwise by leaf V, 41, causing switch*40.tovb e actuated in its second sense of'in this instance its :closed condition 11i accordance withprior disclosures (e.g.-Serial Nos 689,395 andPatent No. 2,800,6507to Charles ,T Br-eiten" [stein] such pin: units have included a'leaf -spring super visory's'witchfSO like switch 40, positioned, asin the top view of Fig 3, to be engaged by the extended pin 25 to 'whichthe main traction spring 261s attached, in such Qmann er that when the pin islatched in playing position,

,as .in'Eig; lithe supervisory switch' 50 will be closed, as

lindicated in'the schematic showing of Fig. 2, iii which lthere isshown an explanatory operating circuit for con- V trol of the individual pin. a a

a In Fig. 2, the'bowling ;pin 101's shown started; and r.

the'pin switch 40 'is'closed, as also is the supervisory switch 50, these two switches being connectedfin a series cir'cui-t respectively from ground or common G through in, pendant position to actuatethe switch into one control condition, and upon movement of the pin either by; said lever means .or ro'n its own pivotaltoactuate the switch lever and swit ch r neansint another control condition.

- 2 in; l st bew ns mi me ha sm a .main lever mechanism, a pinwbody pivptally attached; to said main lever mechanism the latter supporting the pin body forprimary swinging movement in a-lowered pendant playing posiiton, and being operable toretract the pin body from said lowered position in a secondary movement thereof relativegtq a;ball rollingsurface; a support to which said 1ever-mechanismis attached; :a switch carried by said ,supporteand a v separate switch-operating member movably carried by said lever mechanism-and av n -apart; eIa i elyr e sasmb th sa s i or actnation oi -the -latter when theswitch-operating ,member is moved a tpredetermined amount in a certain 'directionlwith said pin-body-in substantially saidpendant P i men i n s jsw s p m ns membe vhaving another part disposed infthe pendant conditiongof said P d to nsa slead,m d-,b ith at r p sive to the primary. type movement aforesaid.

' References C ited UNITED saarnsi-rA rnn'r's -v "Durantet al. "June 111954 Koci; Apr. '8,' 1958 of the lever means with one portion thereof positioned 7 

